The medieval church on the Acropolis of Cumae, Pozzuoli (Italy): Reconstruction of the archeological ruins through a multidisciplinary approach.

This article focuses on the multidisciplinary investigation of the roof structure of a medieval church uncovered on the Acropolis of Cumae, Pozzuoli, Italy, through excavations led by the Scuola Superiore Meridionale and the Università della Campania "L. Vanvitelli" since 2019. The study integrates archaeological stratigraphy, architectural analysis, and nonlinear structural finite element modeling to evaluate two main roofing hypotheses: a masonry barrel vault and a duo-pitched timber roof (either a king post truss or a "false" truss). Structural analyses indicate that all three roof types are mechanically plausible under gravitational loads, but the absence of roof tile remains and architectural comparisons with regional examples currently favor the hypothesis of a masonry vaulted roof. The research highlights the need for further study on the building's collapse mechanisms, particularly regarding external horizontal forces such as seismic activity or ground instability.